First Words
by TheDoodlesAreAlive
Summary: Even when she couldn't make a word out of what everyone around her was saying, it was her only own family she was never able to fully understand.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a long time since Rose had last seen snow. It was only about an inch thick on the ground, but it was everywhere. Cars, trees and rooftops were all dusted with a fine layer of powdered sugar. It sprinkled onto her car window in a swirl as the wind carried it through the village. She wanted to appreciate it and enjoy the rare sight, but she couldn't right then. Her eyes refused to stay open, and kept closing without her knowing it.

Dave fidgeted beside her. Jetlag wasn't affecting him yet. She would have been jealous if it weren't for the nonsensical dreams invading her thoughts instead. She knew he had a pair of headphones on and she could hear sick beats emanating from them. They were mixed into her dreams and only lead to them being more confusing and infuriating. She wanted to hit him, but images of bodiless tentacles kept her hand at bay.

Further back in the van John was in a deep sleep. He wasn't trapped in a strange waking-sleeping stage like Rose was. Instead, he was allowed peaceful dreams that made complete sense now and he would have the blessing to forget later on. Rose drifted off again before she could pay Jade any mind at all, though she knew the girl was reading one of her graphic novels that she'd brought along for the ride.

"Almost there," Mr. Egbert said through her sleepy haze. She could see him, although he seemed to have taken on some insect form. She shook her head and snapped from the dream, only to plunge into a new one as she continued to listen in.

"I can't wait to see the house," Jade said.

"It's a nice place," he assured her. "Not too big, but it will manage to fit all of us."

"Yep! And if not, John can sleep just about anywhere. We shouldn't have any trouble finding him a bed." She giggled.

"We won't have to worry about that," he said. "There are five beds, enough for each of us to get a decent night's sleep."

"Still, the offer stands."

Rose opened her eyes enough to see Mr. Egbert turn the car onto a small neighborhood road. There were neat houses on either side, each surrounded with walls of varying sizes. The walls contained yards smaller than what she believed the average American home would have. She found the change pleasant.

Mr. Egbert stopped the car. "We're here," he said. For the sake of seeing the house for the first time Rose opened her eyes and forced them to stay that way. A wooden gate and two large, leafless trees blocked most of the house from her view. What she could see was the brown roof and a bit of blue wall with a window nestled in it. "Dave, help me open the gate." Mr. Egbert got out, and Dave, after removing his headphones, followed. They rolled it to the side, revealing a stone brick driveway. Mr. Egbert got back in and drove the car inside, shifting the view so that Rose could take in the whole house.

Going in, the driveway was on the right side of the house. There was a simple garage at the end. A small square of grass and a porch were in front of the house. The living room, at least what she assumed would be the living room, had a wall of windows facing them. Curtains or shades covered every window. She couldn't see inside at all.

Mr. Egbert turned off the car and got out. Jade was already climbing over the middle seat to get to the door, so Rose unfastened her seatbelt and stepped into the chilly air. Mr. Egbert stood in the back unloading suitcases and taking care to not let the whole mess come crashing down on him. Rose took the handle of her bag: a simple yet large black rolling suitcase. She pulled it over to the deck and hoisted it up the stairs. It bumped along the wood until she stood in front of the front door. Dave came up behind her, followed by Jade and John. Rose's mother came up behind them still caught in a drunken stupor, and finally Mr. Egbert approached the door, carrying both his and his girlfriend's suitcases. He set them down beside him, and while he dug around in his pocket for the key Rose surveyed the door. It was large and made out of dark wood with thin windows on either side. The house was dark inside, and she couldn't see anything. Mr. Egbert unlocked the door and pushed it open, allowing the group to enter for the first time.

Rose's eyes scanned over the living room only long enough to notice the two sofas and a dining table. As she had notice from outside one of the walls was made up of windows.

"Here we are," Mr. Egbert said. Take a look around. The bedrooms are that way," he pointed to the left, "and up the stairs. You four can figure out sleeping situations now or later. I don't care how you do it, just don't get me involved."

Jade took off, her suitcase bumping along behind her. Rose followed at a slower pace, observing the kitchen as she passed through it. There was another table here. It was piled with documents and letters, some of which she could read, many of which she couldn't. She passed under a bookshelf on the ceiling and passed another door that she had missed from outside. Then she turned right and came upon a wooden spiral staircase. Hefting up her bag, she took great care with each step. She had no wish to tumble backwards onto the hard floor below.

At the top of the stairs she looked first to the right, which had to have been the adults' room, and then to the left, where she could see what looked like a bedroom. She walked inside and found herself facing a ladder that led up to a little platform. She walked around it to the door on the far wall, taking care to not step on the large mattress on the floor. She entered a new hallway with a bathroom on her right and kept walking. There was now a door right next to her and one at the end of the hall.

Jade hopped out of the nearer room just as Rose approached it. She raced past into the other room. Rose watched as the other girl gave it a good looking over before coming back out.

"I think you'd like that room," she said, pointing back at it with her thumb. "It's got a nice desk for you to write on and you can see over the rooftops for a while. It's a little poetic, I think." She grinned, showing all of her too-large teeth.

Rose smiled, her mouth just twitching into a pleasant form. "Thanks. Does that mean you want this one, then?" she asked, motioning to the one she stood beside.

"I kind of would, actually," Jade admitted. "I like the colors more, and although a desk's nice, a big table is better."

"All right. It sounds fine to me. I'll take your word on it."

"Great! Thanks, Rose," she said, taking her bag again and reentering the room. Rose peeked in. It was a nice little space. The walls were a faint blue, almost white. The bed had fluffy sheets. There was a white table beside it that Jade was beginning to load some of her work onto. It was nice, though not Rose's personal taste.

She left and walked into the other room. She looked at the desk in front of a window and the dark wood bookshelf still filled with novels. It seemed pleasant. She sat on the bed and looked up at the slanted roof where there was another window. It was blotchy with snow, and even through the occasional hole in it all she could only see a grey sky.

She didn't care all that much. Sitting on the soft bed was making her head feel fuzzy again. She wanted to lie down and fall asleep in the strange bed. She knew it would only further mess up her sleep schedule, but in this state of mind she couldn't hold up a good argument against herself. She tugged off her shoes and, without bothering with her coat, fell onto her pillow. She was asleep in moments, allowing the nonsensical dreams to wash over her in a lazy haze.

_Black tentacles wrap around her waist. They cradle her head with the care of a mother holding her child. She can touch the soft skin and it doesn't seem to notice. She rubs her hand along them as they begin pulling her. They lift her up away from Earth (How did she get there?) and pull her through the cosmos with literally breathtaking speed. She watches as planets pass by. Some of them are Earth, while others are not. Pinpricks of stars flash across her line of vision. She sees everything rushing past her. It's open and real and full of flaws. She reaches out. Just ahead, there is a brighter place than the others. She doesn't know what it is, but she wants it. She has to have this one thing. The tentacles pull her closer and closer. She can do nothing but watch as it comes at her, a bright white light in the middle of the darkness—_

A hand wiggled her shoulder. Rose groaned and tried to bury her face into the pillow. She heard a soft giggle as Jade shook it again.

"Come on, Rose! My dad's giving us a grand tour of the house right now and you're not going to want to miss it."

"I can navigate the house perfectly well on my own," Rose told the pillow. "I don't need a 'grand tour'."

"Oh, come on!" Jade rolled Rose onto her back. She ignored the glare shot her way. "It'll be fun, and any time that you spend with my dad is good time!"

"I don't see your point." Rose stared at the ceiling as she spoke. She would do anything to show how little she cared about this whole thing.

"He's pretty much going to be your father for the next six months," Jade said. "The least you could do is get to know each other."

"Jade, I've never had a father and I'm perfectly content without one. I plan on living in the same house as him and not extending out relationship beyond that."

"Ugh, fine, don't do it for him, then. Do it for me instead." She gave a buck-toothed grin that Rose couldn't hold back a smile against. "It'll be the first thing we do together as a family: explore our new home! Don't you want to look it over a little?"

"As I said before, I can find my way around on my own…" She watched as Jade's face began slipping into disappointment. "…But I suppose a little look around wouldn't hurt."

"Great!" The warm smile returned as Jade bounced out of the room. "I'll be waiting in the hall!" Then she was gone, and Rose was left to get up by herself. She pushed herself up and looked around the room once again. Nothing had changed except for perhaps a ticker cover of snow outside and a shade darker clouds. She shed her thick black coat and climbed out. She smoother the bed sheets and left the room.

As she'd said, Jade was waiting in the hall. They walked back downstairs together. Mr. Egbert was waiting for them in the kitchen. Dave stood behind him, while John was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, glad you girls came," the older man said. "If you're ready then we can get this grand tour started."

"We're ready!" Jade said. She looked around and cocked an eyebrow. "Where's John?"

"He's asleep upstairs," Mr. Egbert said. "He's already been here once before, so I don't think he needs to be shown everything twice."

"Oh, okay. Lead the way, then!"

"Right." He turned around and walked into the living room. The three kids followed. "This is the living room. As you can see we've got a TV cabinet over there," he pointed to the closest left corner, "and an aquarium that way." He pointed to the further corner. "We've promised to care for their fish while we're here. I'll show you how to do that later. There's also a piano if anybody besides John knows how to play. Let's go back to the kitchen."

They turned around and walked back in. The rest of the tour passed by in a similar fashion. Mr. Egbert introduced them to the kitchen table, the pantry and the refrigerator. He lead them to the office after that, where Rose saw the two desks and a book case. After that there was the downstairs bathroom, the laundry room in the basement and the spiral staircase. Jade remained animated the whole time.

"I think it's great!" she said as they walked up the stairs. "Living here is going to be really fun!"

"It'll be pretty chill," Dave added. "Nothing to get too excited about, but I like it."

Rose agreed. It was a small house, but cozy. She liked the smell of it as well.

They reached the top and saw another bathroom and their parents' room. They walked left into the hallway-bedroom where Mr. Egbert explained that two people could sleep here. There was a snore from the loft indicating that John had made himself comfortable. There were bookshelves with miscellaneous trinkets on every wall and a glass desk with an old computer sitting on top. There was also a window through which Rose could see the driveway.

Finally, they walked down the hall and passed yet another bathroom plus the girls' rooms. Jade explained that they'd already chosen their sleeping spaces.

"That's good to hear. Jade since there's no closet in your room, you'll keep your clothes in here." He waved his hand to a few small cupboards lining the wall.

"Really? They're outside my room?"

He put his hands up in innocence. "I didn't design the house. If you have to you can put your clothes under your bed, but I wouldn't suggest it."

"I think I'll pass." She looked at the cupboards again before retreating into her room. "I'm going to get back to unpacking. Thanks for the tour, Dad!"

Dave turned and walked away. "Yeah, thanks. I've gotta go piss."

"Thank you for that, Dave. I'm sure all of our lives have been changed by that profound statement."

He gave her a thumbs-up before disappearing into the bathroom. "You know it," she heard.

She turned to Mr. Egbert before she had to listen to the sound of escaping urine. "Thank you, sir," she said. "I'll be going back to my room now. See you later."

"Great, I'll be downstairs if you need me." She didn't respond as she walked into her room and shut the door.

She didn't move for a moment. When she did it was to sit in the nice black desk chair that had passed by her notice earlier. She stared out the window watching the snow fall down onto the little town. The rooftops seemed strange and magical and a little romantic. It made sense. France was a country known for romance, wasn't it?

She looked at the white walls. They were bare. She had brought a couple posters with her, but she didn't know if she would ever hang them up.

Her suitcase was still on the floor beside her, untouched. She knew she would have to take care of that soon. This was her home for now. She needed to treat it like so. She needed to put her clothes in their proper places and find a place to store all of her books. Her toiletries had to be put in the bathroom, and her shoes lined up under her bed. It all had to be done. She knew this, but she wished she didn't.

Flecks of light were beginning to dance in front of her eyes again. Her head felt heavy, as if her neck was made of rubber. She was tired, so tired. She folded her arms on the desk and laid her head down, just for a moment.

Dreams flooded her mind, and she welcomed every one.

* * *

**Thank you for reading the first chapter! Critiques are always welcome, as I'd love to improve my writing in any way that I can. I hope to have chapter 2 out… soon! That's the best I can offer for now. Thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Egbert was busy with breakfast the next morning when Rose arrived downstairs. She watched him buttering toast for a moment before looking to who else was in the room. Her mother was at one end of the kitchen table, her usual martini replaced with a mug of black coffee. Jade sat on the side against the wall. She was busy stitching up one of her anthropomorphic dolls that had been damaged on the flight there. John was next to her, messing around with a cheap magic trick. Rose sat at table and opened the large book she'd brought with her.

"Morning, Rose," John said, still staring at the pieces.

Jade glanced up from her sewing and seemed to notice Rose for the first time. "Oh, good morning!" she said.

"Good morning," Rose said to both of them. She opened to page 235 and flicked until she got to page 242.

"Would you like anything to drink, Rose?" Mr. Egbert said.

"What do we have?"

"There's cranberry juice, milk and coffee." He looked at her. "Any of those sound good?"

"What about water?"

He turned back to the food he was making. "That's actually not something we have at the moment. We were told not to drink the tap water here, so we're going to go to the grocery store later and buy a few jugs."

"Why aren't we supposed to do drink it?" Jade asked.

"The owners said it wasn't good for us. I didn't ask beyond that."

"It's fine for us to brush our teeth, right?" A hint of worry was creeping into her voice.

"Of course, just don't drink it and you'll be okay. Even a little bit won't hurt you."

Jade smiled with relief and gave her full attention to her project. Rose glanced at her before looking back down at her book. Just as she had found where she'd left off on the page, Dave came barreling down the stairs.

"Okay, who put a smuppet in my suitcase?" he shouted.

"Your uncle did," Ms. Lalonde said. Rose looked up at her mother. Dave froze in his tracks. Both children stared at their guardian.

"What the hell, mom?" Dave cried. "Why would he do that?"

"Excellent question, Dave," Rose said. "There's nothing at all more confusing than that, such as how he managed to get to your suitcase in the first place."

Their mom shrugged. "He has his ways. I don't question them." She took a drink from her mug. "He said it was something for you to remember him by."

"Damn it, why do we have to be related to an asshole?" Dave walked over and fell into one of the chairs. "Most people would send a card with a photo or something. How did we end up with the uncle that ships sex toys?"

Ms. Lalonde shrugged again and took another drink. Rose was just about to begin reading when Mr. Egbert set breakfast on the table. She closed her book with frustration settling into her expression and pushed it aside. Not a second passed before it was replaced with a plate with toast, bacon and eggs. It took Mr. Egbert just three trips to get everyone's plates on the table, along with salt, pepper, silverware and a few jars of jam. By the time he sat down, Dave's egg and half of his bacon were gone. Rose looked over each jar of jam. The selection consisted of blackberry, strawberry, and pear. She took the blackberry and spread it over her toast while listening to the others' conversation.

"We've got to get you kids signed up for school today," Mr. Egbert said as he cut a piece of egg.

Dave cocked an eyebrow. "We're all moved into a new country and you haven't signed us up for school yet? I know that France might be a little different, but last time I checked, you have some sort of obligation to get us into school. It's kind of important if we wanna get jobs and live long and not blow up the world and shit."

"Dave, what have I told you about that?" Ms. Lalonde said.

He sat back. "No curses at the table," the boy said. She nodded and returned to her coffee. The food on her plate remained untouched for now.

"Don't worry," Mr. Egbert said. "I've already called the school and gotten the paperwork to them. We just have to go in person to make it official."

"Can we explore the city while we're over there?" Jade asked. She'd eaten half of a strawberry-smeared piece of toast and all of the egg. Rose noticed she already had a thick white coat on, and could hear the tapping of her boots against the wood floor.

"Of course." Mr. Egbert nodded. "I'm also going to show you the Tram system and how we're going to get there from this town."

"Why can't we go to school in this town?" John asked. He had just finished covering his egg in a layer of salt. "Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Sure, it would be easier to get to," his father said, "but the only school here is all French classes. None of us are ready to handle that."

They finished the meal and cleared their plates. Rose went back upstairs to retrieve her purse and put on the same black coat from the day before. She also picked up a pair of white mittens, just in case. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but the swollen dark clouds threatened with cold weather and she took heed.

Back downstairs, John was standing at the front door, tapping his foot. Ms. Lalonde was talking to her boyfriend, a thick black binder grasped in one hand. Rose walked up to her brother, who didn't appear to have moved from the kitchen table.

"Aren't you going to put a coat on?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Nah."

She frowned and crossed her arms. It was difficult to tell if he was even looking at her from behind the shades. "As cool as you may be, Dave, I assure you, the air outside is much, much cooler."

"So? I can go without a little comfort in my life. I got all the hardcore of a Strider in my veins."

"Not a Strider," Ms. Lalonde said without taking her eyes off Mr. Egbert. "You're a Lalonde and proud of it."

"He's just doing this so that he doesn't have to go upstairs and get it," John said from his place by the door. Dave pointed a thumb at him.

"Bingo." This brought action to a brief standstill. Dave didn't want to get up, John didn't want to give him the satisfaction, and Rose didn't care.

"Huh?" Jade had just stepped downstairs. She looked at Dave, "Oh, I'll get it for you!" and then raced right back up.

Dave turned his head to watch her go. He smirked. "She's totally into me," he said just loud enough for Rose to hear.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be expecting the engagement announcement any day now."

He settled back and let the smirk fall from his face. "Don't worry, I'll make sure it gets sent on express. That shit's gonna fly through there faster than they can send it back for no postage. Which is good, since I don't have a centime on me." He sat up. "Shit, does mail even work the same way here? Am I gonna have to tie it up in a bow and seal it with a kiss? Drop in a few breadcrumbs and a drop of wine? Is that what they do in France?"

Rose smiled and patted his head. "I assure you, both you and the letter will be just fine."

"I got your coat, Dave!" Jade called she ran into the kitchen, holding it out to him. He stood and took it from her with a quiet thanks. Both of the girls stepped back to give him room. "You might not want to stuff it in the bookcase next time. It doesn't really fit, and you've got a closet for a reason."

"Yeah, but my coat isn't it." He zipped it up before stuffing his hands in the pockets. "All set, sir."

Mr. Egbert looked over at the children. "So everybody's ready?" They nodded. "Great, let's go."

They stepped out the front door into the chilly winter morning. Mr. Egbert lead the group to an unseen door in the fence. They walked through together and he closed it behind them. With Ms. Lalonde at his side, he turned right and walked down the street with the children coming up behind.

"Do you remember your French?" Jade asked the group. She was smiling despite her hands burying themselves in her pockets for warmth.

"A little bit," John said. He shrugged, closing his eyes and twitching his mouth in the process. "I'm sure it'll be easier to remember once we've been here for a while."

"You're just going to immerse yourself in the language, then?" Rose asked.

"Pretty much. I mean, studying has its uses and all, but I think it will be easier to grasp if I actually have French people talking around me. I'll just become more used to it, you know?"

"Sounds good to me!" Jade said. "We should still study together anyway. We're going to want to get as much practice in as possible."

"Can I get in on some of that action?" Dave asked. He was walking on Jade's right, his pace almost matching hers. "It wouldn't be a party without a Strider in the house."

"Aren't you always in the house, though," John mention, "whether you're working with us or not? We live together now, you know. We'll be in the same general space most of the time."

They turned right at the end of the street. They could see a busy main road up ahead.

"Shit, I didn't think of that," Dave said. "I have to live in the same house as Egbert for the next six months. I don't know if I can make it."

"You complain about living with Rose all the time, but you've managed to survive that," Jade suggested. "It won't be that hard, I bet."

"You complain about me?" Rose asked. She turned to Jade and smiled. "Do tell me more about this."

"Oh, it's nothing bad!" Jade promised. "Just stuff like finding wizard fan fics lying around, or dealing with tentacled beasts invading his sleep."

"They're not beasts, they're _monsters_," Dave said. He pulled out his hands and waved them through the air to match his explanation. "They've got these humongous black tentacles that break through the sky and tell me things like, 'Don't kill the frog, Dave,' or 'You're a hero, Dave.' I'm telling you, she summoned them somehow."

Rose rolled her eyes. "As fascinating as horrorterrors are, I have learned that they are quite unreal, and therefore I couldn't summon them. Even if I could, what point would it have? They would sooner eat our planet than start pestering you with vague lines and riddles. I assure you, whatever is whispering to your ears is likely coming from your own mind."

"They _predict_ stuff, really creepy stuff like people being crushed between train cars or being stabbed five times and left on the side of the road," Dave said, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "They tell me it's going to happen, then _bam_. Front page of the paper."

"Dude, you read the paper?" John asked. He grinned with his silly front teeth.

"Hell yeah I do," Dave said. "Have you got a problem with that?"

"Yes." He laughed and Dave swung a limp fist at him.

"You two are ridiculous," Jade said. "They are, aren't they?" she asked Rose.

"Indeed they are," she said with a smirk. "Maybe you aren't cut out for the sophistication of France, as we ladies clearly are."

"Screw sophistication," Dave said.

"Yeah, we're here for the food and naked girls," John put in.

"John!" Jade cried. He shrugged with a laugh.

"Say, is that the train stop up ahead?" Rose said. The others looked forward. Only a couple blocks away now were two covered areas on what appeared to be a dual-lane track.

"Yep, that's it," her mother said. "Cute, isn't it?"

Mr. Egbert nodded. "I learned this just the other day, but they call them Trams here, not trains. If you slip every once in a while, though, people should know what you're talking about."

"So we take it to school every day?" Jade asked. Her father nodded.

"And back," he added. "It should make the journey there more convenient for us. It's an easy system once you get the hang of it, and we won't have to work through morning traffic."

"Sounds fine to me," Rose said.

The stop drew clearer the closer they came. They could start to make out a metal bench over the covering, and a screen with some illegible words on it.

"I think I hear it coming," John said when they were mere feet from the steps up to the covered area.

"I do too," said Mr. Egbert. He looked at the screen. "We're right on time. This is just the tram we want."

Rose listened. In the distance, she could hear its wheels rushing along the tracks, the engine pushing it forward in time for whoever was onboard. It stirred the trees on either side as it sped past, pulling around the corner in a streak of white. She watched it come nearer and nearer the stop, its front window staring them down. It was almost upon them when the breaks engaged and with a high squeal the white snake slowed and came to a clean stop right in front of them. The glass doors pushed forward and spread apart, beckoning them inside. Mr. Egbert stepped inside with Ms. Lalonde right beside him. The kids followed, first John, followed by Rose, and then Jade and Dave together. The doors shut behind them, and the wheels began turning again.

Rose sat next to Jade, who stared out a window like a dog might watch a squirrel.

"Ligne Bleue á Strasburg," a woman's voice said over a hidden speaker.

"Line blue to Strasburg," Rose repeated.


End file.
